Chapter 2 The forbidden forest

I didn't stop running.

My footsteps pounded against the forest floor, the trees blurring around me as I fled into the night. The rejection still stung, but I couldn't bear to stay in the pack anymore-not after what Darius had done. I needed to escape-to lose myself in the darkness.

Lyra, my wolf, howled inside me, but it wasn't the joyful sound of our bond; it was pain, sorrow, and loss. Why, Lia? Why did he reject us?

I couldn't answer her. I didn't know why. All I knew was that he'd torn us apart with his words, and the bond between us-my one true connection-was gone.

My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as I ran deeper into the forest. The trees closed in around me, a living barrier that seemed to push me forward, urging me to keep going. I wasn't sure what I was running toward, but I didn't care. Maybe if I just kept going, the pain would subside.

Then, the forest changed.

The air grew thicker, heavier. The trees, once familiar, became twisted and dark, their gnarled branches reaching out like claws. It felt like the very earth beneath my feet was alive, watching me, waiting for me.

A strange chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong.

I stopped, my senses on high alert. Lyra growled low in my mind, a warning I couldn't ignore. Someone's here, she whispered.

I took a step back, but before I could react, a figure emerged from the shadows.

He was tall, dressed in dark leather that seemed to blend with the night, his eyes glowing a piercing shade of gold. His presence was commanding, almost overwhelming-like a force of nature itself.

I froze.

"You're far from home, little wolf," his voice was deep, smooth like velvet, but there was an edge to it that sent a shiver through me.

I took a step back. "Who are you?" My voice was shaky, but I wasn't about to show fear-at least, not yet.

The man's lips curled into a smirk, his golden eyes narrowing as they studied me. "I'm someone who doesn't like intruders. But I'll make an exception for you."

I couldn't breathe. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my legs wouldn't move.

"Please," I whispered, panic rising. "I didn't mean to trespass. I was just trying to get away..."

He tilted his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "Get away from what?"

I hesitated, feeling the weight of his question. Darius's words echoed in my mind, and I felt the sting of rejection all over again. "From my pack... from the Alpha," I admitted, my voice faltering. "He rejected me."

The man's expression softened, just for a moment, before it hardened again. He took a step closer, his presence suffocating. "So, the mighty Alpha rejected you..."

"I don't belong there anymore," I said, feeling the tears threaten again. But I refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of this stranger.

He studied me, his golden eyes narrowing as if searching for something. "You're no ordinary wolf," he said quietly, almost to himself. "I can feel the power in you."

My heart skipped a beat. "Power?"

He nodded. "Yes. You're not just any omega. You have something... rare."

Before I could speak, there was a sudden movement from the shadows, and I turned just in time to see a figure leap toward me.

The stranger was faster-he moved in an instant, grabbing the attacker by the throat and slamming them into the ground with terrifying ease. I gasped, my eyes wide with disbelief. The attacker was a werewolf, but nowhere near the strength of the man who had saved me.

The stranger dropped the would-be assailant, his gaze turning back to me. "You're lucky I found you when I did. There are things out here in the dark that are far worse than the Alpha's rejection."

I swallowed hard, my heart still racing from the near attack. "Who are you?"

He smiled, a predatory glint in his eyes. "I'm the Lycan King."